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No. 339,933. Patented Apr. 13, 1886.4

ffy-WET gwn, @04% UNITED STATES PATENT Orr-ica.

CARLOTTA FRANCES RODDEY, OF NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AUGUS- TUS T. GURLITZ, OF SAME PLACE.

ABAQUS FOR sLAri-ze.

LPBCIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,933, dated April 13, 1886.

Application liled November 19, 1885.

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GARLOTTA FRANCES RODDEY, residing in the city ot' New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Educational Appliances; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form 1o part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a device for instructing beginners, consisting of a number of beads or blocks of suit-able shape arranged in'a convenient holder, so as to be I5 separable and movable laterally, the holder being provided with characters or words corresponding to some quality of the movable portions when these are in certain positions, whereby their relative significance may be zo easily and pleasantly conveyed to the mind of the learner.

Figure 1 represents a portion of a slate or blackboard containing my invention in one form. Fig. 2 represents a portion ofa slate or blackboard containing myinvention in another form. Fig. 3 shows a ruler containing my invention. Fig. 4 is a section in the line x w of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section in the line x m of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section of my invention 3o when arranged on a slate-frame in a groove corresponding to the groove shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 isa cross-section on the line :c a: ofFig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the drawings.

A is a frame, in Figs. 1 and 2 forming a part of a slate or blackboard frame, and in Fig. 3 consisting of a ruler, and in this frame is provided a suitable slot, as B, in which are disposed a number of beads or other suitably- 4o shaped pieces, b c d, arranged so that they may be moved from one end of the groove to the other, leaving about a sixth or other suitable portion of the groove unoccupied to allow for moving about the blocks, &c., so that they may be separated at various points, as desired. This frame or holder A may form or be in a portion of some other useful or educational appliance in the frames for a slate or blackboard, or in a ruler, as shown in the drawings,

5o or in any suitable or convenient box, case, or

Serial No. 183,294. (No model.)

other structure. So the blocks or beads may be retained in position by being strung .on a rod or wire, c, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; or they may be retained in place in any other suitable manner-for example, by being arranged in an inclined groove, I3', as shown in Fig. 3. On the margin ofthe frame, nearthe movable parts, their -numbers are marked off in such position that when all of the blocks, &c., are pushed to the end where the iigures 6U commence the proper block will be opposite its appropriate tigure, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. This constitues one form of my invention, and may be used alone, or in connection with theadditionshereinafter described. This 55 is used to teach the child the correspondence between the number of things and the appropriate ligure representing that number, as by moving one block to its position opposite the figure 1 it learns the numerical value of that figure, and the same way with two or more. So the child may learn to add the numbers as two and two making four, which when pushed into place will show the figure of that value, so it may be taught to subtract, multiply, and divide in primary Sums of simple numbers in the same way. The figures on the margin constitute examples for copying.

In some instances of my invention I further utilize the blocks for teaching by impressing a letter upon each block, as shown in Fig. 2, in such order that by separating the blocks at some points various words may be formed, and by separating the blocks at other points different words may be formed by the use of some of the same letters, the object being to intermingle the words and thereby interest the child in picking out the various words. In the example shown in the drawings, Fig. 2, the blocks have the letters arranged upon go them in this order- NOVHEREADMITHEMULEARNIGHT.

The letters numbered from 1 to 7 may be divided to form the words no where77 or now hert-3,7 from 6 to 9 will form the word 9:" read, from Sto 12 admit, 12 to 14 the,77 13 and 14 he, l5 to 18 mule/7 17 to 2l learn, 21 to 25 night, and many other Words may be arranged in the same way, whereby the child canlearn to spell orpick out words, 10o

and these letters may be impressed upon the block `in the form of characters suitable for use as copies for writing. By thus arranging these lettered blocks in the frame of a slate or blackboard the child has not only the advantage of learning to divide the set of letters into Various words, but also the further advantage of having ready to hand therewith a suitable surface upon which the diiferent words may be at once written down, and thereby children may use the same to exercise their ingenuity in picking out the words, and at the same time practice writing them down, without the necessity of any additional article to be carried along or mislead, as when a copy must be set separate from the thing upon which it is to be written. Besides, by having these character-blocks on a slate-frame ad- Ivantage is taken of the imitative faculty of children, who, as a general rule, like to scribble, so that when they feel inclined to use the slate they find with it an attractive device to copy and arrange into various words.

In some instances of my-invention I also color each ofthe blocks or beads of a different color. The primary, secondary, and tertiary colors may be grouped, if desired, and on the margin of the frame the names of the different colors are stamped, as shown in Fig. 8, in such position that when the blocks are shoved into place at the proper end of the groove the naine ofthe color of each block will be opposite to that block. The child thereby learns to associate the name with the color, andthe blocks may be pushed out of position and the child required to pick out a certain color, and then push the blocks into place to ascertain whether it has selected the proper color.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the words or figures 011 the frame A indicate some characteristic of the blocks which come opposite thereto when moved into l position at one end of the slot, as the colors of l the several blocks or the numerical value of the various blocks relative to each other, and this feature of the device will be found very useful in arousing the mental faculties of children.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim asnew, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

vl. The educational device described, consisting of a holder, A, having movable blocks arranged therein, in combination with indicative characters on the frame opposite to thefin-l side of the holder, substantiallyas describedv and shown.

3. The slate-frame A, having a slot, B, provided with movable blocks, in combination with the iigures on the frame A, opposite to each block when the blocks are in position at ssA one end of the slot, such slot being of suii-l cient length to permit therblocks being moved away from their respective figures, substantially as described and shown.

CAR-LOTTA FRANCES RODDEY.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR C. MACLAY, DANIEL J. AUGUs'rINE. 

